Even as the digital shift continues, print magazines remain a vital part of a multilayered, interconnected media marketplace. The new magazines launched in 2014 display publishers’ appreciation of, and commitment to, the value of the printed page. Mediafinder.com reported that 190 magazines were launched in 2014, compared to 185 in 2013. Last year also saw the closure of 99 titles, as opposed to the 56 that ceased in 2013.

“Seeking answers, trying to impose meaning, to understand what happened and why are all things I do when I’m writing. So when people ask me if my novel is an act of political activism, I remember what Toni Morrison said…”

Welcome Artificial Overlords. Humans have historically been obsessed with creating artificially intelligent life (AI). These 26 works of fiction and nonfiction, plus periodicals and DVDs, bring this future into sharper focus.

It is no shocker that the publishing game is under­going rapid-fire change. The astonishing growth in self-­publishing (over half a million self-published titles were released in 2013, up 400 percent since 2008, according to a recent Bowker report), the continued improvements in ereaders and digital reading apps, the rise in print on demand, and mergers among the Big Six (now Big Five) publishers are creating ripple effects throughout the industry.

An armchair voyage is a journey of exploration—a pilgrimage, a feast for the soul, and a way of satisfying curiosities. These 27 resources, including apps, will help users travel routes and set sail for adventures that won’t require security checks or encounter airport snafus.